ANALYSIS OF WINNING TIMES

GOING: TURF: HEAVY.

Final Group race of the year ends in dead-heat / L’ ultimo Gruppo in Italia finisce in parità

Report: Italy, Sunday

Capannelle: Premio Carlo e Francesco Aloisi (Group 3) 6f, turf, 2yo+

THE final Italian Group race year ended in exciting fashion, with Blu Constellation (Raffaele Biondi/Dario Vargiu) andRosendhal (Giuseppi Botti/Salvatore Sulas) flashing past the post nose to nose, with the photo confirming the result as a dead-heat.

This represented something of a renaissance for Blu Constellation, whose career has been hit by injury and a near-fatal disease since he slammed last month’s Prix de l’Abbaye winner Wizz Kid by six lengths in a Maisons-Laffitte Group 2 in 2010.

It was also a return to form for Rosendhal, who disappointed here on his previous start having earlier been a close fourth behind Moonlight Cloud in a Longchamp Group 3. He was landing a second Group win of his career, the other coming in this race two years ago.  

Blu Constellation was always up with the pace before going for home one and a half furlongs out, while Rosendhal settled in midfield before joining his rival inside the final furlong, the pair locked together throughout the final furlong and giving their all. A dead-heat was the perfect reward for two gallant protagonists.

The pair drew three lengths clear of the disappointing favourite Noble Hachy, who was never really travelling with her usual fluency as she met with her first domestic defeat at the eighth attempt, although she had been beaten on her two starts in France.